Chico gas station robbed; thief on the loose

CHICO — A man with a gun robbed Reliance Gas on Mangrove Avenue Friday night and police are searching for the thief.

The clerk at the gas station told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that the armed robber was still in the store when the clerk called at 11:27 p.m., according to a press release from the Chico Police Department. When police arrived, the man had fled on foot eastbound on East First Avenue.

The clerk told police that the man had entered the store wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt that partially obscured his face and showed a handgun while demanding money, according to the release. The clerk handed over the money in the register and was not injured in the robbery.

Chico police are asking anyone with information related to the robbery to call 897-4900.